Opodo travel news

Spain is still the most popular winter sun destination for Britons, according to statistics released by a car rental company.

Carhiremarket.com revealed that Spain was the country of choice for a quarter (25%) of Britons who took a fly-drive holiday in December 2010 and January this year.

Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Alicante took the top three places in the company's list of winter sun hotspots, while Paphos in Cyprus and Orlando in the US completed the top five.

The Caribbean island of Martinique made it into the top ten for the first time, partly thanks to its 'picture-perfect beaches and coral reef barriers', according to carhiremarket.com.

Porto in Portugal and Las Palmas on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria also emerged as popular destinations among travellers arranging vehicle rental during the winter season.

Commenting on the ongoing popularity of winter sun hotspots, Anel Brun, product manager for the car hire company, said: 'As the Met Office warned late last year that December was almost certainly the coldest since records began, many Brits took to the skies and flew off to sunnier climes.'